I am a list maker…even in retirement from my secular work. For me, what doesn’t get listed, doesn’t get done. It is also very rewarding for me to check that item off the list when it is accomplished. The list has a progression of priorities. One task cannot happen until another task is completed. And so life goes with my lists guiding my behavior and productivity.
As I journal each morning in my conversational prayer with God, the Father, His Spirit guides me to make another list that helps me to mature and grow in Him. I am convicted of some of those “fruits of the Spirit” that I have not tended to or cultivated, have ignored or left undone. His Holy Spirit redirects my thoughts and helps me form a list of tasks that will help me improve my behavior. “Keep a close check on yourself”, writes Paul to Timothy. For me, that means to make a spiritual checklist that keeps me in close contact with the will and purpose of our Father, God and helps me to grow closer to Him.
We can do nothing of significance without God. I am convinced that He guides us to all things that are good for our growth and aid our learning about Him and how He works. Paul also gives Timothy sound advice about how to treat those whom God has called to lead with character traits with another list of how to lead. This list still applies to us today. The theme of this episode seems to be; Know God, Know Yourself, Know The Message, Know Your Audience. Our deeds, good and bad, will be evident. Be driven by God’s love in us.
1 Timothy 5, The Message
17-18 Give a bonus to leaders who do a good job, especially the ones who work hard at preaching and teaching. Scripture tells us, “Don’t muzzle a working ox” and “A worker deserves his pay.”
19 Don’t listen to a complaint against a leader that isn’t backed up by two or three responsible witnesses.
20 If anyone falls into sin, call that person on the carpet. Those who are inclined that way will know right off they can’t get by with it.
21-23 God and Jesus and angels all back me up in these instructions. Carry them out without favoritism, without taking sides. Don’t appoint people to church leadership positions too hastily. If a person is involved in some serious sins, you don’t want to become an unwitting accomplice. In any event, keep a close check on yourself. And don’t worry too much about what the critics will say. Go ahead and drink a little wine, for instance; it’s good for your digestion, good medicine for what ails you.
24-25 The sins of some people are blatant and march them right into court. The sins of others don’t show up until much later. The same with good deeds. Some you see right off, but none are hidden forever.
LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLE #6: Keep a Close Check on Yourself
Leadership Characteristics –
–Fully rely on God. Trust Him with all you are and all you have. We are His. All we have is His.
–Ask God “if there is anything offensive to you, cleanse me.” as the Psalmist prayed.
–Repent with a heart and mind not wanting to return to the old life.
–Look full into the face of Jesus, our Master, Lord and Savior with laser focus so we know what direction to take next.
–“Keep a close check on yourself.” Avoid, “he did it, I can, too” or “my sin is not as bad as his sin” or “everybody’s doing it” mentality.
–Ask God for wisdom, insight and understanding.
–Allow God’s transformation to continue in our lives.
–Ask God to make your lists of to BE and to DO. HE will prioritize your lists in ways you cannot imagine! Where He guides, He provides help all along the journey.
–Do all in a Spirit of love for God and others.
–Care enough to confront others with God’s love and concern for their spiritual well-being and growth.
WarningThe things on our spiritual check list can never be crossed off because we’ll be working on them our whole lives. By listing we are reminding ourselves of what we need to work on to “keep a close check” on our lives. It is only by The Atonement of Jesus Christ can we accomplish anything of eternal significance.
Dear Heavenly Father, You have convinced me that we must do spiritual “business” with You each day to improve our being in You. Thank you for helping us on this journey. Thank you for Your Holy Spirit that points out things in our behavior that could cause us to crash…before crashing. Thank you for always being with us, guiding and directing, loving and protecting and challenging us to grow and bear Fruit. Continue to transform me. Transform your church. Transform the world through your church. In Jesus Name, Amen
Most of us are list makers, even if we don’t write our list on paper or in “notes” on our phone, we make mental lists. Type A people, like me, not only write items on our list; we desire to aggressively achieve the list so we can cross the items off as they are complete. Crossing off tasks from our agenda gives us pure joy and makes us happy—until we remember what we forgot to put on the list! Right? Come on, who are my list-making people out there? This trait is good and it can be bad.
As we read, study and pray the songs of the Psalm composers; we begin to realize the lists the songwriters are making to God! Almost every psalm sung begins with a list for God to do! Many psalms at least begin with a list of what God has done as if to coddle God into complete their latter lists of requests that are soon to follow! Take note, learn and thank God for being patient with his children BEFORE we give Him our lists of “to dos”! Yikes, we need more training! Hang in there, it’s coming!
However, this psalm has a different ending. Instead of the lists of yes and amens to God, the Psalmist commands the Singers to “Do for God what you said you do.”(Ouch) The Psalmist is calling God’s people to task! “He is after all your God!”
Psalm 76, The Message
1-3 God is well-known in Judah; in Israel, he’s a household name. He keeps a house in Salem, his own suite of rooms in Zion. That’s where, using arrows for kindling, he made a bonfire of weapons of war.
4-6 Oh, how bright you shine! Outshining their huge piles of loot! The warriors were plundered and left there impotent. And now there’s nothing to them, nothing to show for their swagger and threats. Your sudden roar, God of Jacob, knocked the wind out of horse and rider.
7-10 Fierce you are, and fearsome! Who can stand up to your rising anger? From heaven you thunder judgment; earth falls to her knees and holds her breath. God stands tall and makes things right, he saves all the wretched on earth. Instead of smoldering rage—God-praise! All that sputtering rage—now a garland for God!
11-12 Do for God what you said you’d do— he is, after all, your God. Let everyone in town bring offerings to the One Who Watches our every move. Nobody gets by with anything, no one plays fast and loose with him.
WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?
I confess. I wake to greet God; but nanoseconds later my mind begins to form my “list” for the day ahead. I have to work hard to focus on God first and allow Him to form my agenda for each day. But this discipline has gotten so much easier with time because my relationship with God has grown and is growing more intimate each day!
Time with God first has become an exercise I look forward to each morning. I almost run to meet our Lord Jesus! Hence, I have reduced my breakfast routine to grabbing coffee and a cup of Cheerios to sustain me as I talk with God. It begins, as Jesus taught us to prayer, with a more holy “list” in this order;
Hallowed is Your Name, indeed. Holy and great are you, Lord God of all!
Your Kingdom come; Your Will be done in all the details as this delights You!
You give us another day to walk humbly with you with mouths to declare Your glory because of our love and obedience as we seek justice and love mercy like you do.
You forgive as we forgive others in ways we would not have done before knowing You.
You leads and warns us of temptations of evil meant to distract, deceive, and deconstruct our faith in Him with the goal of destroying our souls. YOU are our Deliverer with power given to Your Holy Spirit living within us—Evil cannot overcome the Overcomer of our souls surrender to You!
We give you, Lord all glory, honor, and praise forever and ever, Amen!
RITUAL VERSUS RELATIONSHIP—IT’S PERSONAL!
This comes from daily surrender of what I think I want or need to God who knows exactly what I need most—a personal relationship that is intimate and growing.
Many years ago, I was led to journal my prayers by my spiritual mentors. It was hard to do at first; I felt like my words were becoming “repetitious babbling” that Jesus warned us not to do for obvious reasons. That’s why I leaned heavily on the prayer Jesus taught His disciples as the beginning of my prayers. This prayer of who God is and what Jesus did along with His Holy Spirit at work within us right now brings my focus to full attention and transforms my heart while renewing my mind! I didn’t do that—God did!
God looks for those seeking Him with pure hearts committed to Him and then He blesses us by growing His character traits in us! God’s character traits are listed by Paul in Galatians 5. These traits/fruits transform our hearts, minds, and souls! They are not a ritual with a check list of duties; but a relationship with God which deepens daily!
Surrendered hearts prompts God to nourish our growth in becoming more like Him. In the beginning we were made in His image; as our relationship grows, we begin to be and do what He does! In this transformation, which is ongoing and lasts until we see Him face to face, we amaze even ourselves as we begin to bear God’s traits also known as spiritual “fruits”. These character traits, listed by Paul are “love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” Paul says there is no law against being too loving and kind to each other!
Paul adds; “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” This is how the Apostle Paul explains a growing, intimate relationship with God which is the most important relationship we will ever have because God is Life! But it requires a surrendering daily from our lists to His agenda which is for our good and His glory! It does not matter what vocation, phase, or stage of life we live—seek God first. (Romans 12 tells us how)
What we learn is that in opening our hearts to God, whether in crisis or calm, we trust our God who knows our hearts and what we need most with faith that He delivers in ways beyond our wildest dreams or imaginations. This intimacy in relationship is not a ritual but a longing, thirst, and hunger to know God more with a desire to be like Him as we walk with Him.
THIS is one of the reasons for writing Daily Manna (Coffee with Jesus) each morning. It has become a way to glory the God who saved me and made me whole in His Presence. Writing (typing actually) my prayers in my journal to Him keeps the focus on Him and sets the tone for the day. Turning to His Word for how to be like Him is a must.
My prayers have transformed from lists of requests to lists of how grateful I am to God! “Come to His courts with thanksgiving”, the Psalm writers cry out. I get it. Thanksgiving puts all the focus on God helping us to see Him more clearly. Clarity of who God becomes dependency and trust that He will provide in all circumstances without telling Him what to do on our behalf—He’s already doing it! It is time we do what we said we would do for God by His leading. He’s probably already told you what to do, now do it!
I am also a morning person who married a person who is not. After 55 years of marriage, we have worked as a team “submitting” to each other’s inner strengths and preferences in life. But what makes us work is that we totally agree on what matters in this life—a relationship with Jesus who we trust and obey. God is our Father, Jesus is our Savior and Lord, the Holy Spirit lives in us to guide us to what is true. God is first, each other second, then our children and grandchildren then others. We love with the love of God in our hearts. We believe that real love comes from God who is love. Then we tell the world who needs to know God’s love so they can have this personal relationship with Him, too.
Lord,
I pray for all who are reading to see YOU in these writings of praise for who YOU are, what YOU do, with what YOU want us to be and do with how to do it from YOUR Word! To YOU be all glory, honor, and praise! Life is all about YOU! Thank you, thank you, thank you!
I’m a little bit country and a little bit rock and roll when it comes to tastes in music. I also enjoy Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony when done well by a talented orchestra who love to play what it called classical music. I like a good hymn with a message and I like an upbeat contemporary song with thanksgiving to God that gets me up to dance to the rhythm with joy in my heart!
I like to specifically listen for each instrument then sit back and listen to the piece being played as a whole. Music moves our souls before the lyrics are heard just like the Singer moves our hearts and minds to seek Him as we desire to know Him.
We know that music can draw us into a song’s melody and give us a picture of love, joy and peace. But if the song is presented poorly with less than stellar harmonies and bad lyrics; it can push us away. The search for most goes on or gives up in seeking to find the perfect Song with a Singer who knows the “notes” to sing. Seek the Song, be His Singer!
This is my story; this is my song…
“True worship centers on the Lord and not on us, our personal problems, or our “felt needs.” We praise God for who He is—His glorious attributes—and for His wonderful works. God’s name is a synonym for God’s person and presence. He is indeed “A very present help in trouble” (Ps. 46:1), and when God’s people call on the Lord, they know He will hear them. We thank the Lord for all He has done, and we tell others about His wonderful works. Though God wants us to bring our burdens to Him and seek His help, worship begins with getting our eyes of faith off the circumstances of life and focusing them on the Lord God Almighty.”—Warren Wiersbe, Wiersbe Study Bible
The Song reigns forever! His Singers proclaim His mighty, glorious works!
Aspah is one of the Singers best composers, trained by King David!
Psalm 75, The Message
For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” A psalm of Asaph. A song.
We thank you, God, we thank you— your Name is our favorite word; your mighty works are all we talk about.
2-4 You say, “I’m calling this meeting to order, I’m ready to set things right. When the earth goes topsy-turvy And nobody knows which end is up, I nail it all down, I put everything in place again. I say to the smart alecks, ‘That’s enough,’ to the bullies, ‘Not so fast.’”
5-6 Don’t raise your fist against High God. Don’t raise your voice against Rock of Ages. He’s the One from east to west; from desert to mountains, he’s the One.
7-8 God rules: he brings this one down to his knees, pulls that one up on her feet. God has a cup in his hand, a bowl of wine, full to the brim. He draws from it and pours; it’s drained to the dregs. Earth’s wicked ones drink it all, drink it down to the last bitter drop!
9-10 And I’m telling the story of God Eternal, singing the praises of Jacob’s God. The fists of the wicked are bloody stumps, The arms of the righteous are lofty green branches.
WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?
Going a bit deeper in this Song and Singer analogy, I refer to C.S. Lewis who used this idea in his writings to explain the foundational concept of creation. In C.S. Lewis’s The Magician’s Nephew, he writes of the protagonist Aslan who creates the world of Narnia through song. This concept mirrors C.S. Lewis’s broader philosophical writings on God as the ultimate Singer and Creator.
In the opening of the world of Narnia, Aslan the lion begins to sing in the darkness. His voice is described as rich, wild, and beautiful, echoing across the void. As he sings, the stars are born, the sun rises, and the landscape bursts into life.
This act of creation establishes a clear metaphysical hierarchy in Narnia:
The Singer (Aslan): He represents the Creator (God). He is the author, the breath of life, and the source of all existence.
The Song (The Creation): Narnia itself is the song. It exists because of Aslan, reflects his will, and is a beautiful manifestation of his voice.
The Characters: All living creatures are considered “notes” in the Song. For Narnians, the moral imperative is to align their own lives (the melody) with Aslan’s overarching Song rather than trying to sing their own selfish tune.
This dynamic also stems from C.S. Lewis’s famous writings on human longing, particularly in Mere Christianity. Lewis argued that every natural desire in humans corresponds to a real object that can satisfy it—if we are hungry, there is food; if we are thirsty, there is water. Therefore, he concluded that if we find in ourselves a desire and a longing for eternity that nothing in this temporal world can satisfy, it means we were created for another world.
The Singer created the notes for His Song “in His own image”. We are the masterpiece of God’s creation! We were designed to desire the Singer with a longing to be with Him! We are Song whom God Sings over in delight! What amazing love!
Lewis argued the ultimate Singer (God) is the only one who can complete the melody.
Do you agree?
AND check out, “The Singer Trilogy” A Classic Retelling of Cosmic Conflict by Calvin Miller for more deep-sea thinking! Hundreds of thousands have thrilled to this extraordinary retelling of a life unmatched in human history. Through the story of the Singer, his Star-Song and his battles with the World Hater, Calvin Miller has created a book full of life. Now, in one volume, you will find a powerful tale of incarnation and redemption.
But one truth remains—God.Trust God, the Composer to be and do who and what He is, was and always will be and can do as He creates His masterpiece of melodies among His created. HE is God. We are not.
This is my story; this is my Song
Praising my Savior all the day long.
This is my story; this is my Song
Praising my Savior all the day long…
Lord,
What blessed assurance to know that no matter what; YOU reign! There is nothing on earth that happens to us or by us that escapes your notice. Thank you for being with us always, for saving our souls for eternity, and giving us a glimpse daily of your glory at wok all around us. To you be the Glory, great things You have done! May we Sing your Song loud and long so others will know and join in the chorus!
We must never forget who God is when we are raw from suffering on earth in circumstances that are out of our control. We must never forget God is sovereign over all because he created all when slander rises up against us and against God in ways meant to overwhelm us and bring us down. In these moments of testing our faith; we want revenge. But only God can bring about justice. The tough rely on God.
Asaph was tired of being stepped on. He felt rejected, defeated, and forgotten. He prayed that God would restore Israel and grant revenge. But God had other plans. God always has a better plan. Trust God. Listen to Him.
Psalm 74, The Message
Of Asaph.
You walked off and left us, and never looked back. God, how could you do that? We’re your very own sheep; how can you stomp off in anger?
2-3 Refresh your memory of us—you bought us a long time ago. Your most precious tribe—you paid a good price for us! Your very own Mount Zion—you actually lived here once! Come and visit the site of disaster, see how they’ve wrecked the sanctuary.
4-8 While your people were at worship, your enemies barged in, brawling and scrawling graffiti. They set fire to the porch; axes swinging, they chopped up the woodwork, Beat down the doors with sledgehammers, then split them into kindling. They burned your holy place to the ground, violated the place of worship. They said to themselves, “We’ll wipe them all out,” and burned down all the places of worship.
9-17 There’s not a sign or symbol of God in sight, nor anyone to speak in his name, no one who knows what’s going on. How long, God, will barbarians blaspheme, enemies curse and get by with it? Why don’t you do something? How long are you going to sit there with your hands folded in your lap?
God is my King from the very start; he works salvation in the womb of the earth. With one blow you split the sea in two, you made mincemeat of the dragon Tannin. You lopped off the heads of Leviathan, then served them up in a stew for the animals. With your finger you opened up springs and creeks, and dried up the wild floodwaters. You own the day, you own the night; you put stars and sun in place. You laid out the four corners of earth, shaped the seasons of summer and winter.
18-21 Mark and remember, God, all the enemy taunts, each idiot desecration. Don’t throw your lambs to the wolves; after all we’ve been through, don’t forget us. Remember your promises; the city is in darkness, the countryside violent. Don’t leave the victims to rot in the street; make them a choir that sings your praises.
22-23 On your feet, O God— stand up for yourself! Do you hear what they’re saying about you, all the vile obscenities? Don’t tune out their malicious filth, the brawling invective that never lets up.
WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?
Why did God permit a pagan nation to defeat the Jews and destroy their Holy City and sacred temple, and why was He doing nothing about it?
Here’s the background history that prompted Asaph’s song of lament to God;
“The Lord, the God of their ancestors, sent word to them through his messengers again and again, because he had pity on his people and on his dwelling place. But they mocked God’s messengers, despised his words and scoffed at his prophets until the wrath of the Lord was aroused against his people and there was no remedy. He brought up against them the king of the Babylonians, who killed their young men with the sword in the sanctuary, and did not spare young men or young women, the elderly or the infirm. God gave them all into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar. He carried to Babylon all the articles from the temple of God, both large and small, and the treasures of the Lord’s temple and the treasures of the king and his officials. They set fire to God’s temple and broke down the wall of Jerusalem; they burned all the palaces and destroyed everything of value there.
He carried into exile to Babylon the remnant, who escaped from the sword, and they became servants to him and his successors until the kingdom of Persia came to power. The land enjoyed its sabbath rests; all the time of its desolation it rested, until the seventy years were completed in fulfillment of the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah.” –2 Chronicles 36:15-21, NIV
Even though the prophets had warned that judgment was coming, the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the temple were catastrophic events that shook the people’s faith. As he surveyed the situation, Asaph moved from despair to confidence and in the end affirmed that all was not lost.
The “remnant” was a group of God’s faithful people who escaped the sword and lived to serve God by trusting and being obedient to him, even as slaves to the Babylonians. The Bible is full of faith stories of people who in spite of their circumstances chose to believe in God who is above all, knows our need, and will always be with us through it all with protection for our souls.
Also found in Chronicles are words I quote often; “For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.” 2 Chronicles 16:9a. A prophet (seer) comes to King Asa who did good in the eyes of the Lord, until he didn’t. The king began as a leader of God but when God gave him victory, he took all the glory. His arrogant pride developed which led to not seeking the Lord. He trusted in his own resources and no longer trusted God in decision making concerning war and the protection of God’s people as king. Instead, he trusted in himself and manipulated others who would agree with him. It did not end well for King Asa. That verse quoted often ends with this statement of truth: “You have done a foolish thing, and from now on you will be at war.”—2 Chronicles 16:9b.
The fundamental problem was not Judah’s lack of defenses but King Asa’s lack of faith. Our lack of faith is pleasing to our Enemy as we become prey in his hands of evil.
Revenge is not as sweet as it sounds is not in our “job descriptions” as believer of Jesus Christ who redeemed us for our own sins. Our work, in God’s view, is to seek justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God. Revenge is not a humble act of obedience.
“As you watch the news, what makes you angry? What makes you want to get revenge? Next time you are tempted to seek revenge, stop. See aggressors as people who need God. Pray that God will meet that need.”—Max Lucado, Encouraging Word Bible
We will never look into the eyes of someone who God does not love like He loves us.
“All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”, writes Paul. If that doesn’t humble us; then the enemy has already defeated our faith. Let’s read the context of this statement as well;
Righteousness Through Faith In Jesus
“But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness is given through faith in JesusChrist to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished—he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be justand the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus. Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded.”—Paul, Romans 3:21-27, NIV
Even though God had every reason to punish us for our sins; He did not. Instead, God sent His Son, Jesus to die as the sacrifice for our sins. Jesus, who had no sin, became sin, of the world, so that He could pay the debt we owe for our sins.
We cannot earn this redemption, fight for it, nor do we deserve it. So, we have nothing on earth to boast about—only Jesus crucified and resurrected to give us hope of eternal life.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:16-17
Theologians have divided the Psalms into sections for study and review. We are beginning part three of our journey of praying through the Psalms written by humans in need of God for His wisdom and help. God delivers all He promised and more for believing people surrendered and committed to Him. The “songs” written are honest reflections of His Goodness in prose of praise that can be sung in celebration of who He is with prayers of thanksgiving for what He has done, is doing and will do in the lives of all who believe and follow Him.
The Psalms most often begin with lament and end with how God delivered on His promise to always be with us as He continually works on our behalf in ways beyond our wildest dreams. God is God. God was, is and always will be God. We are not Him. To God be the glory!
For clarity and understanding, let us return to remember the words of Eugene Peterson, a pastor and theologian who taught his congregation how to pray the Psalms by paraphrasing the words into contemporary English for more understanding of the Word. Peterson’s words of this particular portion of his introduction about the Psalms helps us to know the intention and attention of personal, desperate, honest prayers to God who is God alone and worthy to be praised as God. He writes;
“Prayer is elemental, not advanced, language. It is the means by which our language becomes honest, true, and personal in response to God. It is the means by which we get everything in our lives out in the open before God.
But even with the Psalms in their hands and my pastoral encouragement, people often tell me that they still don’t get it. In English translation, the Psalms often sound smooth and polished, sonorous with Elizabethan rhythm and diction. As literature, they are beyond compare. But as prayer, as the utterances of men and women passionate for God in moments of anger and praise and lament, these translations miss something. Grammatically, they are accurate. The scholarship undergirding the translation is superb and devout. But as prayers they are not quiet right. The Psalms in Hebrew are earthy and rough. They are not genteel. They are not the prayers of nice people couched in cultured language.
And so, in my pastoral work of teaching people to pray, I stared paraphrasing the Psalms into the rhythms and idiom of contemporary English. I want to provide men and women access to the immense range and the terrific energies of prayer in the kind of language that is most immediate to them, which also happen to be the language in which these psalm prayers were first expressed and written by David and his successors.
I continue to want to do that, convinced that only as we develop raw honesty and detailed thoroughness in our praying do we become whole, truly human in Jesus Christ, who also prayed the Psalms.” –Peterson, The Message, Introduction to Psalms.
BOOK III – Psalms 73–89
A psalm of Asaph.
Psalm 73, The Message
1-5 No doubt about it! God is good— good to good people, good to the good-hearted. But I nearly missed it, missed seeing his goodness. I was looking the other way, looking up to the people At the top, envying the wicked who have it made, Who have nothing to worry about, not a care in the whole wide world.
6-10 Pretentious with arrogance, they wear the latest fashions in violence, Pampered and overfed, decked out in silk bows of silliness. They jeer, using words to kill; they bully their way with words. They’re full of hot air, loudmouths disturbing the peace. People actually listen to them—can you believe it? Like thirsty puppies, they lap up their words.
11-14 What’s going on here? Is God out to lunch? Nobody’s tending the store. The wicked get by with everything; they have it made, piling up riches. I’ve been stupid to play by the rules; what has it gotten me? A long run of bad luck, that’s what— a slap in the face every time I walk out the door.
15-20 If I’d have given in and talked like this, I would have betrayed your dear children. Still, when I tried to figure it out, all I got was a splitting headache . . . Until I entered the sanctuary of God. Then I saw the whole picture: The slippery road you’ve put them on, with a final crash in a ditch of delusions. In the blink of an eye, disaster! A blind curve in the dark, and—nightmare! We wake up and rub our eyes. . . Nothing. There’s nothing to them. And there never was.
21-24 When I was beleaguered and bitter, totally consumed by envy, I was totally ignorant, a dumb ox in your very presence. I’m still in your presence, but you’ve taken my hand. You wisely and tenderly lead me, and then you bless me.
25-28 You’re all I want in heaven! You’re all I want on earth! When my skin sags and my bones get brittle, God is rock-firm and faithful. Look! Those who left you are falling apart! Deserters, they’ll never be heard from again. But I’m in the very presence of God— oh, how refreshing it is! I’ve made Lord God my home. God, I’m telling the world what you do!
WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?
It is dumb to please people no matter how much they are admire by you and the rest of the world. It is wise to please the One and Only who created us in His own image. God loved us so much He sent a part of Himself, His Son who died to save us from our sins that hold us in bondage (and one of those sins of entanglement in this world is pleasing impossible-to-please people in this world)!
Asaph, a choir director, questioned God’s wisdom. Asaph saw the wicked prospering and the righteous suffering. His lament ends with this conclusion;
“Until I entered the sanctuary of God. Then I saw the whole picture:
There’s nothing to them. And there never was.”
When we are confused by events in our lives, remember to ask God to give us HIS view of people and our current circumstances from His perspective. We must stop our useless activities of assumptions and presumptions and lean into God.
God welcomes our questions and doubts when we come to him honestly seeking truth. God is Good, so Good. God patiently waits for us to enter into His sanctuary of real Life through honest prayers, seeking His wisdom, insight and understanding from our point of surrender to what He sees and knows.
Only then can we truly see the “big picture” of what He sees with what He requires of us in response—to trust and obey Him while seeking justice, loving mercy, in our humbled walk with Him. (Micah 6:8)
We need is help daily to avoid the sin of relying only on what we see and feel, assume and presume, along with trying to please people in which we think have it all together. Truth bomb: None of us have it all together until we surrender to God who is ready to help us with guidance to all that is truth by His Holy Spirit living in us. Even then, we are not perfect and good; but we are perfectly forgiven by a God who knows us and helps us from the inside out and outside in—because He loves us.
God does not expect perfection—He looks for our pursuit of Him with heart of surrender.
Truth: (ICYMI) We are His and He is our God—oh, what peace there is when we truly believe Whose we are and in Whom we can cling to forever because of Jesus sacrifice!
Lord,
Thank you for the Psalms, these prayers of honest people who suffered through trials, assumed the worst, until they walked into your throne room with opened hearts, minds, and souls in surrender. Surrender means letting go of self-talk with a readiness to hear all that is true about You with who we are to You! It is a holy time to be filled with your glorious will—all that right and good for us! To you be the glory! Your Word lifts our burdens as we surrender to what Your Word says. Yes!
What are the words that come to mind as we pray daily for our children, no matter what their current age? As young children, we mostly pray for their protection as they attempt goofy things trying to figure out life stuff while exploring their capabilities, right? I just had a thought; how did Evel Knievel’s mom pray for him? Remember this dare devil who tried to break all records by jumping over vehicles with a motorcycle? (Real last name, by the way!) Can you picture him in the backyard as a toddler, lining up planks into ramps to jump his tricycle over the family dog, all while giggling at the sheer thought of doing what was forming in his mind?
As young adults maturing to be men and women in the adult world, what do we pray? Do we parents beg God to prosper them, kept from harm, so they will be content and happy in life? I hope there is more to our prayers than being happy for as we know “in this world we will have troubles”, says Jesus but added, “relax for I have overcome the world. Do they know Jesus? Is our prayer that they may know, believe, and follow Him? The best prayer we can pray and model is that our children would seek God first, trust his wisdom above all else, and strive to be men and women who desire to be like His Son, Jesus who modeled perfectly how to humbly walk with God. (Philippians 2)
Psalm 72 is Solomon’s prayer influenced heavily by his father, King David. Solomon is now the King of Israel. He was raised from childhood to know that God was the supreme King over God’s people. Solomon also knew that the man on the throne in Jerusalem was God’s representative, obligated to lead the people according to the law of God (See Deuteronomy 17:14–20). King Solomon had to be impartial in his dealings according to the Law given to Moses along with making sure that his throne was founded on God’s righteousness and justice which meant, according to Psalm 89:14, acquiring the God’s ways of Righteousness and Justice.
As we might recall, Solomon asked God for wisdom above all else as he took the throne! God answered that prayer with teaching him about His righteousness, justice, love and faithfulness.
“Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; love and faithfulness go before you.” Psalm 89:14
Let’s talk about these terms in order to enrich our own prayers—
God’s righteousness and justice are the bedrock of His character and sovereignty. “Righteousness” implies absolute moral perfection in doing what is right, while “justice” ensures that His judgments and rule are completely fair. Can a human be and achieve this—only by the power of God in him! Love and Faithfulness (or Mercy and Truth): These attributes of God “go before” Him. Instead of a harsh tyrant, God leads with compassion and keeps all His promises.
THIS is what and why Solomon prayed;
Psalm 72, The Message
Of Solomon. Final prayer of David, son of Jesse.
1-8 Give the gift of wise rule to the king, O God, the gift of just rule to the crown prince. May he judge your people rightly, be honorable to your meek and lowly. Let the mountains give exuberant witness; shape the hills with the contours of right living. Please stand up for the poor, help the children of the needy, come down hard on the cruel tyrants. Outlast the sun, outlive the moon— age after age after age. Be rainfall on cut grass, earth-refreshing rain showers. Let righteousness burst into blossom and peace abound until the moon fades to nothing. Rule from sea to sea, from the River to the Rim.
9-14 Foes will fall on their knees before God, his enemies lick the dust. Kings remote and legendary will pay homage, kings rich and resplendent will turn over their wealth. All kings will fall down and worship, and godless nations sign up to serve him, Because he rescues the poor at the first sign of need, the destitute who have run out of luck. He opens a place in his heart for the down-and-out, he restores the wretched of the earth. He frees them from tyranny and torture— when they bleed, he bleeds; when they die, he dies.
15-17 And live! Oh, let him live! Deck him out in Sheba gold. Offer prayers unceasing to him, bless him from morning to night. Fields of golden grain in the land, cresting the mountains in wild exuberance, Cornucopias of praise, praises springing from the city like grass from the earth. May he never be forgotten, his fame shine on like sunshine. May all godless people enter his circle of blessing and bless the One who blessed them.
18-20 Blessed God, Israel’s God, the one and only wonder-working God! Blessed always his blazing glory! All earth brims with his glory. Yes and Yes and Yes.
WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?
Could this prayer be a ways for us to pray for our leaders? What if we prayed similar words, asking God for wisdom to dwell in all our leaders who govern us? All earthly leaders are very human and uber tempted by evil from all directions! Do they not deserve our prayers if we do not agree with them? The answer is they need our prayers as much as our family and friends! What they do affects us all! These people stepped up to serve and got elected by the populus. It is our responsibility as citizens of our town, city, state, and country to respect and honor the position they are in with consistent, intentional prayer to God to give them His righteous wisdom with justice as they lead!
“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore, do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” –Jesus, Matthew 6:33-34
“Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness” is a foundational biblical teaching from Jesus as recorded by Matthew 6:33. It means prioritizing God’s rule, values, and moral standards in your daily life, trusting that He will provide for your physical and practical needs without the burden of anxiety.
“The Kingdom of God” represents God’s sovereign rule, His will being done, and His presence in the world. Seeking it means placing God’s purposes, teachings, and desires above personal ambition or worldly gain.
“His Righteousness” refers to living by God’s moral standards and doing what is right in His eyes. It involves aligning our actions, thoughts, and character with His holiness. We are not perfect but He is and always will be!
“Jesus ended with the Promise“…and all these things will be added to you”. This is our blessed assurance that when we put God first, He takes care of our basic human needs (like food, clothing, and shelter).
The proclamation of Micah the prophet, centuries before Jesus came, makes total sense as Jesus reiterates God’s Truth to humanity:
“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8
All believers are commanded by God’s Son Jesus, His prophets, apostles, and teachers to seek God first, ask for His wisdom, surrender, and listen as we walk humbly with God. When we ask for wisdom; God gives and gives and does not hold back! We need to pray, ask, listen, trust, and obey! Stop being anxious for what may never happen!
Don’t forget who we are in Christ as designed by God—We are created in God’s image. God’s desire is that we become our Faithful Father in all His ways. We will not achieve all His attributes on earth; therefore, as we live and breathe we must seek His wisdom of righteousness, justice, love and faithfulness in all we think, say, and do—so that the world may know Him. When we pray the promise of the peace of Christ settles our souls—just like He promised.
Lord,
Thank you for cleansing my heart, removing all that does not belong there. Thank you for renewing my mind with your peace with wisdom. Thank you for refreshing my soul with your thoughts of righteousness, justice, love and faithfulness. Thank you for the joy and peace of your salvation at work continually in me. Thank you for your relentless love for our children and their children!
May our leaders be filled with your wisdom for our good and your glory!
Our worship songs today, those with words and melody that literally grab our hearts and get the attention of our minds lost in thought with an exact message of truth at exactly the right time we need it most is borrowed from God’s Word! The composer generally writes from a place of rescue, conviction, and resolved faith in the Rescuer and Deliverer. These are the songs of praise that speak into the depths of our hearts and fills that holy space reserved alone for God.
God’s Holy Spirit, a part of God, equal to Jesus, promised by God through Jesus, does indeed come to be our Helper/Counselor/Guide/Comforter/Corrector who leads us to all that is Truth in a world consumed with lies. The Holy Spirit comes to reside deep within us at the very moment we say yes to Jesus in surrender of our will to His perfect, pleasing will for us. Christ is the Rock of our Foundation of Faith.
His Word is designed to not only teach us the path to follow with specific instructions; His Word is used to compose the songs we sing in worship that express our need of God, our love for God, our thanksgiving to Jesus for saving us, all with the growing knowledge of who God is as a testimony to others seeking to fill their emptiness with God’s Holy Spirit.
This is the secret, writes the Apostle Paul, called of God through Jesus to teach new believers gathered in church groups trying to figure out how to walk humbly with God. Paul explains the “secret” in this way and is for ALL who believe in Jesus;
“For God wanted them to know that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory.
So we tell others about Christ, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all the wisdom God has given us. We want to present them to God, perfect in their relationship to Christ. That’s why I work and struggle so hard, depending on Christ’s mighty power that works within me.” Colossians 1:27-29, NLT (Emphasis mine)
Paul’s message was not new; He relied on and spoke the words of God as given from God’s Holy Spirit living in him—so that the world may know Jesus as the only way to God.
The Psalmist borrows from other Psalms to create new songs! Warren Wiersbe states; “The first three verses are adapted from Psalm 31:1–3, a perfectly legitimate practice among psalmists. This writer also borrowed from Psalms 22, 31, 35, and 40, to name just a few of his sources. On 71:1, see 7:1; 11:1; 16:1; 22:5; 25:2, 20; and 31:17. (On the image of the rock, see 18:2.) If the author was a temple musician, his mind and heart were no doubt filled with the psalms that he had sung day after day.
Our expressions to God, like our language itself, need not be original with us. Borrowed words and phrases, spoken from the heart, will certainly please God.” –Wiersbe Study Bible
It is the conditions of our hearts, not the words we speak, pray, or sing, that God looks upon as we honor Him.
Psalm 71, NIV
In you, Lord, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame. 2 In your righteousness, rescue me and deliver me; turn your ear to me and save me. 3 Be my rock of refuge, to which I can always go; give the command to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress. 4 Deliver me, my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the grasp of those who are evil and cruel.
5 For you have been my hope, Sovereign Lord, my confidence since my youth. 6 From birth I have relied on you; you brought me forth from my mother’s womb. I will ever praise you. 7 I have become a sign to many; you are my strong refuge. 8 My mouth is filled with your praise, declaring your splendor all day long.
9 Do not cast me away when I am old; do not forsake me when my strength is gone. 10 For my enemies speak against me; those who wait to kill me conspire together. 11 They say, “God has forsaken him; pursue him and seize him, for no one will rescue him.” 12 Do not be far from me, my God; come quickly, God, to help me. 13 May my accusers perish in shame; may those who want to harm me be covered with scorn and disgrace.
14 As for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more.
15 My mouth will tell of your righteous deeds, of your saving acts all day long— though I know not how to relate them all. 16 I will come and proclaim your mighty acts, Sovereign Lord; I will proclaim your righteous deeds, yours alone. 17 Since my youth, God, you have taught me, and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds. 18 Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, my God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your mighty acts to all who are to come.
19 Your righteousness, God, reaches to the heavens, you who have done great things. Who is like you, God? 20 Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up. 21 You will increase my honor and comfort me once more.
22 I will praise you with the harp for your faithfulness, my God; I will sing praise to you with the lyre, Holy One of Israel. 23 My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to you— I whom you have delivered. 24 My tongue will tell of your righteous acts all day long, for those who wanted to harm me have been put to shame and confusion.
WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?
We sing from the heart of the goodness and majesty of our God!
Lord,
Thank you for living within my soul. Thank you for daily cleansing my heart, renewing my mind, refreshing my soul and restoring the joy unspeakable, full of the glory of your salvation at work deep within me. Thank you for parting the waters of lies that overwhelm us each day to present Truth—You, only You. Help us to be more and more like you in every way. May our focused attention be always on You.
“These psalms were written as a cry for help in old age. Their writers longed to be testimonies of God’s faithfulness and useful parts of God’s work.
In the later years of his life, David looked for God’s hand just as surely as he had during his younger years. His dependence on God did not lessen with age.
Aging is God’s idea. It’s one of the ways he keeps us headed homeward. We can’t change the process, but we can change our attitude. Here is a thought. What if we looked at the aging body as we look at the growth of a tulip?
Do you ever see anyone mourning over the passing of the tulip bulb? Do gardeners weep as the bulb begins to weaken? Of course not. We don’t purchase tulip girdles or petal wrinkle cream or consult plastic-leaf surgeons. We don’t mourn the passing of the bulb; we celebrate it. Tulip lovers rejoice the minute the bulb weakens. “Watch that one,” they say. “It’s about to blossom.”
Could it be heaven does the same? The angels point to our bodies. The more frail we become, the more excited they become. “Watch that lady in the hospital,” they say. “She’s about to blossom.” “Keep an eye on the fellow with the bad heart. He’ll be coming home soon.”
“We . . . groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies” (Romans 8:23).
Are our bodies now free? No. Paul describes them as “our lowly bodies” (Philippians 3:21). Or as other translations state
“our earthy bodies” (MSG)
“the body of our humble state” (NASB)
“our weak mortal bodies” (NLT)
“our vile body” (KJV)
“our humble bodies” (NCV)
You could add your own adjective, couldn’t you? Which word describes your body? My cancerous body? My arthritic body? My deformed body? My crippled body? My addicted body? My ever-expanding body? The word may be different, but the message is the same: These bodies are weak. They began decaying the minute we began breathing.
And, according to God, that’s a part of the plan. Every wrinkle and every needle take us one step closer to the last step when Jesus will change our simple bodies into forever bodies. No pain. No depression. No sickness. No end.
This body is not our forever house. It will serve for the time being. But there is nothing like the moment we enter his door.
Are you young and looking for something to believe in? Are you older and looking for God’s hand anew? God answers both needs. Look to him and no further.”—Lucado, Encouraging Word Bible
Psalm 70, The Message
For the director of music. Of David. A petition.
1-3 God! Please hurry to my rescue! God, come quickly to my side! Those who are out to get me— let them fall all over themselves. Those who relish my downfall— send them down a blind alley. Give them a taste of their own medicine, those gossips off clucking their tongues.
4 Let those on the hunt for you sing and celebrate. Let all who love your saving way say over and over, “God is mighty!”
5 But I’ve lost it. I’m wasted. God—quickly, quickly! Quick to my side, quick to my rescue! God, don’t lose a minute.
WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?
Micah has the answer given to him by God; “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” Micah 6:8
What is the cry of our hearts today? What is the attitude of our minds as we cry out?These are questions for thought this morning as we study God’s Word while listening to His Holy Spirit tell us what He wants us to know in this time and place. We need to slow our roll of anxious words, crying out to God, with attitudes steeped in faithless fear of the unknown. Our God reigns. Our God knows you and what you are going through right now. Our God is already working on your rescue with His plan to help us in righteous and holy ways. He waits on us to realize He is at work on our behalf!
God’s work of salvation within us is a daily process that works best from our posture of surrender to His will. (Romans 12:1-2) God’s work in us is delivered step by step in His timing and in His way in order to mature our faith as we walk humbly with Him.
The really Good News of Jesus’ redemptive work is God’s Holy Spirit working from the inside out of our beings to develop His character within us. As we grow and mature by walking humbly with Him in surrender; we began to think, act, and walk like the One we love in relationship. It is amazing in my own walk to see the transformation of my attitudes and actions when I am fully yielded to God, seeking to be like Jesus in every way. I’m not who I was; I’m different! I’m useless trying to be a better me, like the world tells us to do but instead, be more like Christ!
I’m not there yet and have a long what to go but I am on my way forward, seeking to develop and bear all the Spiritual fruits of His holy character of “love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” Galatians 5:21-24 We can only do this in surrender to the One who set us free from our sins.
Cry out to God, no harm in honest; but then listen to God’s answer. He changes all who surrender to His will because of His unchanging love for us. Jesus is the Way, Truth, and Life that leads to a forever relationship with the God who calms our urgent thoughts with His relentless love, mercy, and grace delivered right on time—His time! Trust Him, He knows what He is doing!
Lord,
Thank you for these thought that come to mind as we hear the Psalmist cry out for help. We know that cry for we have cried out many times before when we didn’t know what else to do when we came to the end of ourselves and our resources. Help us to seek You first in all circumstance of life in faith and surrender. We want to bloom where we are planted but we also what to mature with a beautiful, glorious faith in You—the preparation of life in heaven with you forever!
In 2017, Cory Asbury composed a song, “Reckless Love of God” that became popular—and controversial among theologians at the same time. The controversy was over the word “reckless”. Theologians had a hard time because they believed God is never reckless but perfectly on time in all His ways to rescue us. Asbury’s critics argued that describing God’s love as reckless implies carelessness, a lack of planning, or irresponsible behavior, which they believe misrepresents a holy, all-knowing, and sovereign God. I remember singing the words of this song when I was overwhelmed by a world of lies and betrayal within the church body for my soul was in need of rescue with truth—who is Jesus!
So, what if we look at this from the point of view of the songwriter who woke up early in the morning, remembering how God had miraculously saved and rescued him from being a broken, on the run prodigal, who suddenly experienced the overwhelming, unconditional love of God? What God does for us might indeed look “reckless” in the view of the church.
In fact, there are those in leadership today who would have people seek order, discipline, practice and service in their ways and in their timing upon accepting Jesus; in other words all new believers must become like the veterans of faith versus becoming like Christ. This practice brings on even more overwhelming obstacles and is a sin in Jesus’ view and teaching! Jesus stated (mostly to the Pharisees and teachers of the Law within earshot) that it would be better for an offender to have a heavy millstone tied around their neck and be drowned at the bottom of the sea than to hurt or cause a believer to stumble. This powerful metaphor highlights the gravity of damaging someone’s faith—even with teaching people to be “good”.
“But if you give them a hard time, bullying or taking advantage of their simple trust, you’ll soon wish you hadn’t. You’d be better off dropped in the middle of the lake with a millstone around your neck. Doom to the world for giving these God-believing children a hard time! Hard times are inevitable, but you don’t have to make it worse—and it’s doomsday to you if you do.”—Jesus, Matthew 18:6-7, MSG
Asbury touched the hearts of thousands of the redeemed who knew their redemption is and always will be purely the work of God through His son Jesus. We do not earn it. We do not deserve it. God’s rescue does seem reckless to those who want to punish us for all the deeds we have done and have gossiped over us as they work to make us feel guilty forever for that way keeps us under their control! Could this be the work of the Accuser? I will leave that right there.
Asbury left the Christian music scene for a while as the accusations flew but still humbly expressed his gratitude for God whose love does seem reckless to the world but perfectly acceptable to those needing His rescue. What seems reckless to us is God’s perfectly timed salvation of love, mercy, and grace. It is up to us and no one else to accept, repent, believe, and be redeemed forever with the promise of eternal life. Too hard to believe? Believe it! This is the reckless, unconditional love of God at work!
RECKLESS LOVE
Before I spoke a word, You were singing over me You have been so, so good to me Before I took a breath, You breathed Your life in me You have been so, so kind to me
Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God Oh, it chases me down, fights ‘til I’m found, leaves the ninety-nine I couldn’t earn it, I don’t deserve it, still You give Yourself away Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God
When I was Your foe, still Your love fought for me You have been so, so good to me When I felt no worth, You paid it all for me You have been so, so kind to me
Bridge
There’s no shadow You won’t light up Mountain You won’t climb up Coming after me There’s no wall You won’t kick down Lie You won’t tear down Coming after me
At the beginning of David’s song of prayer to the Lord, he is begging for the Lord to answer. Do we beg for God when we want Him to act, asap? David wanted an answer now! Though he was not sinless; David was innocent of the charges his enemies were making against him and he was being treated as though he were guilty. Will God understand? God always understands and stands with us in these times of questioning. In fact, this scenario reminds us of our Savior, who was sinless yet treated like a transgressor when brought in and bullied to the Caiaphas, the High Priest who had already judged Jesus and decided His fate—crucifixion by the Romans! According to Warren Wiesbe, theologian of truth, Jesus quoted Psalm 69:4 in the Upper Room conversation with His disciples! (John 15:25).
Psalm 69
For the director of music. To the tune of “Lilies.” Of David.
God, God, save me! I’m in over my head,
2 Quicksand under me, swamp water over me; I’m going down for the third time.
3 I’m hoarse from calling for help, Bleary-eyed from searching the sky for God.
4 I’ve got more enemies than hairs on my head; Liars and cheats are out to knife me in the back.
What I never stole Must I now give back?
5 God, you know every sin I’ve committed; My life’s a wide-open book before you.
6 Don’t let those who look to you in hope Be discouraged by what happens to me, Dear Lord! God of the armies!
Don’t let those out looking for you Come to a dead end by following me— Please, dear God of Israel!
7 Because of you I look like an idiot, I walk around ashamed to show my face.
8 My brothers shun me like a bum off the street; My family treats me like an unwanted guest.
9 I love you more than I can say. Because I’m madly in love with you, They blame me for everything they dislike about you.
10 When I poured myself out in prayer and fasting, All it got me was more contempt.
11 When I put on a sad face, They treated me like a clown.
12 Now drunks and gluttons Make up drinking songs about me.
13 And me? I pray. God, it’s time for a break!
God, answer in love! Answer with your sure salvation!
14 Rescue me from the swamp, Don’t let me go under for good,
Pull me out of the clutch of the enemy; This whirlpool is sucking me down.
15 Don’t let the swamp be my grave, the Black Hole Swallow me, its jaws clenched around me.
16 Now answer me, God, because you love me; Let me see your great mercy full-face.
17 Don’t look the other way; your servant can’t take it. I’m in trouble. Answer right now!
18 Come close, God; get me out of here. Rescue me from this deathtrap.
19 You know how they kick me around— Pin on me the donkey’s ears, the dunce’s cap.
20 I’m broken by their taunts, Flat on my face, reduced to a nothing.
I looked in vain for one friendly face. Not one. I couldn’t find one shoulder to cry on.
21 They put poison in my soup, Vinegar in my drink.
22 Let their supper be bait in a trap that snaps shut; May their best friends be trappers who’ll skin them alive.
23 Make them become blind as bats, Give them the shakes from morning to night.
24 Let them know what you think of them, Blast them with your red-hot anger.
25 Burn down their houses, Leave them desolate with nobody at home.
26 They gossiped about the one you disciplined, Made up stories about anyone wounded by God.
27 Pile on the guilt, Don’t let them off the hook.
28 Strike their names from the list of the living; No rock-carved honor for them among the righteous.
29 I’m hurt and in pain; Give me space for healing, and mountain air.
30 Let me shout God’s name with a praising song, Let me tell his greatness in a prayer of thanks.
31 For God, this is better than oxen on the altar, Far better than blue-ribbon bulls.
32 The poor in spirit see and are glad— Oh, you God-seekers, take heart!
33 For God listens to the poor, He doesn’t walk out on the wretched.
34 You heavens, praise him; praise him, earth; Also ocean and all things that swim in it.
35 For God is out to help Zion, Rebuilding the wrecked towns of Judah.
Guess who will live there— The proud owners of the land?
36 No, the children of his servants will get it, The lovers of his name will live in it.
WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?
David not only prays for himself but for all who believe and follow God. He also prays for his enemies but unlike Jesus told us to pray for our enemies! There is the difference between David, a human and Jesus, Our Redeemer.
Many today preach “be like David, bold like Daniel, faithful like Abraham”, but we need to remember they are human like us in need of God’s character and power to be in them to do what they did—just like us. Paul demands to all who will listen and written down in his letters to the church then and now—don’t be like me a sinner saved by grace—be more and more in every way like Christ who gave His live for us! Truth!
We truly love Jesus and others as long as God’s love flows through us for God is love. (1 John 4) “We love Him because He first loved us.” (1 John 4:19) God’s Love is recklessly controlled, forever stable, and unchanging—unlike the world’s view of human love. God’s love is holy, pure, and perfect. This is the love we seek and desire to imitate.
Oh Lord,
May we daily remember your overwhelming love that rescued us and brought us out of the deep waters meant to drown our faith. Our Accuser has no power over my soul—all because of You!
We cry out and sing “God bless America” sometimes as if we are the only country who desires God’s blessings as we see blessings. Many times, even as a child singing the song with my friends in a mighty children’s chorus on special holidays for our nation; I wondered even then if the lyrics were backwards. Maybe our song should be, “Hey America! Bless God!”
Let us stand and give God all the blessings of praise, honor, and glory with humbled, grateful hearts because of His gift of salvation, relationship, and restoration through reconciliation with Him! God saved us from ourselves and our own sins by sacrificing His One and Only Son, Jesus—the One perfect without sin to pay the price and set us free from the payment we owe! Jesus took away the sins of all the world so we could be debt free! We need only to believe that He did! But that’s not all, when the Enemy of God thought he had won when Jesus died; God raised Jesus from death to life in victory on that beautiful, miraculous third day! Yes, to all who believe—Jesus is not only Savior, He becomes the Lord of all we think, say, and do. That is our prayer.
God promised and He delivered our rescue. But that’s not all; God reconciled (reconnected) our relationship with our Creator in what Jesus accomplished on our behalf as our Advocate! But that’s not all; God knew, after our forgiveness and restoration, we would need a Helper 24/7. So, as promised, His Holy Spirit came immediately to take up residence way deep in our souls to be with us always. Holy Spirit is our guide to Truth as we wade through a world of lies. God’s Holy Spirit convicts, corrects, comforts, and compels us to keep our feet on a rock-solid foundation of faith in our God/Jesus/Holy Spirit relationship—in our daily prayer of surrender.
The Psalmist sings words of blessings for God. David is well versed through experience and relationship with God which prompts his praises and blessings! David saw the Lord’s presence on Zion as a blessing first of all to those who were burdened and in danger; just as Jehovah our King bears our burdens and defeats our enemies. Certainly, David saw the Lord win great victories for Israel so his heart, mind, and soul was bent thanksgiving for God!
David also includes a prophecy of the King, namely Jesus, who will come riding on the clouds in rescue on The Day of His return! It is easy for us to jump to this foretaste of the glory of Jesus’ return as David describes the Gentile nations submitting to Jehovah, the God of Israel, and bringing Him their worship. These references help us to understand—
The prophet Isaiah proclaimed; “In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established as the highest of the mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. Many peoples will come and say, ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord’” (Isaiah 2:2-3)
Later, John, disciple of Jesus, wrote what God enabled him to envision; “I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.” –Revelation 21:22-27
Imagine the Day when the Gentile nations will join Israel in blessing God by singing praises to the Lord, extolling His majesty and power!
Read, pause, then bless God for all He has done, is doing, and will do in our lives!
Psalm 68, The Message
For the director of music. Of David. A psalm. A song.
1-4 Up with God! Down with his enemies! Adversaries, run for the hills! Gone like a puff of smoke, like a blob of wax in the fire— one look at God and the wicked vanish. When the righteous see God in action they’ll laugh, they’ll sing, they’ll laugh and sing for joy. Sing hymns to God; all heaven, sing out; clear the way for the coming of Cloud-Rider. Enjoy God, cheer when you see him!
5-6 Father of orphans, champion of widows, is God in his holy house. God makes homes for the homeless, leads prisoners to freedom, but leaves rebels to rot in hell.
7-10 God, when you took the lead with your people, when you marched out into the wild, Earth shook, sky broke out in a sweat; God was on the march. Even Sinai trembled at the sight of God on the move, at the sight of Israel’s God. You pour out rain in buckets, O God; thorn and cactus become an oasis For your people to camp in and enjoy. You set them up in business; they went from rags to riches.
11-14 The Lord gave the word; thousands called out the good news: “Kings of the armies are on the run, on the run!” While housewives, safe and sound back home, divide up the plunder, the plunder of Canaanite silver and gold. On that day that Shaddai scattered the kings, snow fell on Black Mountain.
15-16 You huge mountains, Bashan mountains, mighty mountains, dragon mountains. All you mountains not chosen, sulk now, and feel sorry for yourselves, For this is the mountain God has chosen to live on; he’ll rule from this mountain forever.
17-18 The chariots of God, twice ten thousand, and thousands more besides, The Lord in the lead, riding down Sinai— straight to the Holy Place! You climbed to the High Place, captives in tow, your arms full of plunder from rebels, And now you sit there in state, God, sovereign God!
19-23 Blessed be the Lord— day after day he carries us along. He’s our Savior,our God, oh yes! He’s God-for-us, he’s God-who-saves-us. Lord God knows all death’s ins and outs. What’s more, he made heads roll, split the skulls of the enemy As he marched out of heaven, saying, “I tied up the Dragon in knots, put a muzzle on the Deep Blue Sea.” You can wade through your enemies’ blood, and your dogs taste of your enemies from your boots.
24-31 See God on parade to the sanctuary, my God, my King on the march! Singers out front, the band behind, maidens in the middle with castanets. The whole choir blesses God. Like a fountain of praise, Israel blesses God. Look—little Benjamin’s out front and leading Princes of Judah in their royal robes, princes of Zebulun, princes of Naphtali.
Parade your power, O God, the power, O God, that made us what we are. Your temple, High God, is Jerusalem; kings bring gifts to you. Rebuke that old crocodile, Egypt, with her herd of wild bulls and calves, Rapacious in her lust for silver, crushing peoples, spoiling for a fight. Let Egyptian traders bring blue cloth and Cush come running to God, her hands outstretched.
32-34 Sing, O kings of the earth! Sing praises to the Lord! There he is: Sky-Rider, striding the ancient skies. Listen—he’s calling in thunder, rumbling, rolling thunder. Call out “Bravo!” to God, the High God of Israel. His splendor and strength rise huge as thunderheads.
35 A terrible beauty, O God, streams from your sanctuary. It’s Israel’s strong God! He gives power and might to his people! O you, his people—bless God!
WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?
We sing with glorious thanksgiving as we humbly walk with our Lord God and Savior!
To God be the glory, great things He hath done, so loved He the world that He gave us His Son, who yielded His life an atonement for sin, and opened the life-gate that all may go in.
Refrain: Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the earth hear His voice! Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the people rejoice! O come to the Father through Jesus the Son, and give Him the glory, great things He hath done…
(Composer: Fanny Crosby, 1875)
Lord,
Thank you for your thoughts that will dwell in our hearts all day long from reading Your Word with grateful hearts. Help us to live Your Word out loud today so others will know and see your glory reflected from our faces! “Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in me”…
The Lord bless you and keep you Make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you The Lord turn His face toward you And give you peace
The Lord bless you and keep you Make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you The Lord turn His face toward you And give you peace
Amen, amen, amen Amen, amen, amen
The song “The Blessing” by Kari Jobe, Cody Carnes, and Elevation Worship is primarily based on the Aaronic Blessing from Numbers 6:24-26, where God instructs Moses to have Aaron (the high priest) bless the Israelites. “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.”
Many pastors of my past church life have used these very words in this text as a benediction (prayer blessing at the end of a sermon) for the people who gathered to praise God and learn from His Word on any given Sunday. The Words complete God’s desire for our attention and for us to know it is God alone who blesses us and gives His peace unlike what the world can give.
May His favor be upon you And a thousand generations And your family and your children And their children, and their children…
Additionally, the song’s bridge (which speaks of God’s favor for “a thousand generations”) draws heavily from Deuteronomy 7:9 and Psalm 103:17, which emphasizes God’s steadfast love and covenant—lasting across generations!
The Blessing is today’s song in my heart, mind, and soul as we read Psalm 67. The same God that David and musicians wrote of and sang to is the same God who looks down on us with a smile on His face as we read His Word and seek His heart’s desire for us. He loves us no matter what; but He smiles on us when we seek to be like Him with all our hearts, minds, and souls knowing God will help us in and through the transformation to Life eternal with Him!
May His presence go before you And behind you, and beside you All around you, and within you He is with you, he is with you
In the morning, in the evening In your coming, and your going In your weeping, and rejoicing He is for you, he is for you
He is for you, he is for you He is for you, he is for you He is for you, he is for you (Amen, amen)
Amen, amen, amen Amen, amen, amen…
Psalm 67, The Message
For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A psalm. A song.
God! Let people thank and enjoy you. Let all people thank and enjoy you. Earth, display your exuberance! You mark us with blessing, O God, our God. You mark us with blessing, O God. Earth’s four corners—honor him!
1-7 God, mark us with grace and blessing! Smile! The whole country will see how you work, all the godless nations see how you save.
God! Let people thank and enjoy you. Let all people thank and enjoy you. Let all far-flung people become happy and shout their happiness because You judge them fair and square, you tend the far-flung peoples.
Psalm 67, NIV, Our prayer for today:
May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine on us— 2 so that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations.
3 May the peoples praise you, God; may all the peoples praise you. 4 May the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you rule the peoples with equity and guide the nations of the earth. 5 May the peoples praise you, God; may all the peoples praise you.
6 The land yields its harvest; God, our God, blesses us. 7 May God bless us still, so that all the ends of the earth will fear him.
WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?
Max Lucado writes;
This songwriter praised God for blessing the people. The writer promised to praise and offer sacrifice to God because God had always remained faithful.
God is worthy of praise. He not only grants us our life, but he guides us as well.
Praise is the highest occupation of any being. What happens when we praise the Father? We reestablish the proper chain of command; we recognize that the King is on the throne and that he has saved his people.
The whole purpose of coming before the King is to praise him, to live in recognition of his splendor. Praise—lifting up our heart and hands, exalting with our voices, singing his praises—is the occupation of those who dwell in the kingdom.
I believe that praise and prayer develop us for what we will do when we arrive in heaven. What’s your picture of what you’ll be doing there—sitting on a cloud? Polishing your halo? Playing your harp? That’s not what you’re going to be doing. You’re going to be involved in the ongoing process of co-reigning with God.
Make this your “thank God” day. Focus on the blessings, whether they are as simple as a beautiful tree or as profound as peace of mind. Perhaps you could thank him for your older neighbor, your stubborn child, your gas-guzzling car, your boss—thank God for all things.”—Lucado, Encouraging Word Bible
So that the world may know Him, too…
May His favor be upon you And a thousand generations And your family and your children And their children, and their children
May His presence go before you And behind you, and beside you All around you, and within you He is with you, he is with you
In the morning, in the evening In your coming, and your going In your weeping, and rejoicing He is for you, He is for you
I am a list maker…even in retirement from my secular work. For me, what doesn’t get listed, doesn’t get done. It is also very rewarding for me to check that item off the list when it is accomplished. The list has a progression of priorities. One task cannot happen until another task is completed. And so life goes with my lists guiding my behavior and productivity.
LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLE #6: Keep a Close Check on Yourself
Daily Manna (Coffee with Jesus) 